Alan Abel (musician)

Alan Abel
Alan Abel performing in 2015
Background information
Born	1928 (age 88–89) Hobart, Indiana
Genres	classical music
Occupation(s)	percussionist
Instruments	triangle, snare drum, bass drum
Years active	1951-present
Associated acts	Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Oklahoma City Philharmonic Philadelphia Orchestra

Alan Abel (born 1928) is an American percussionist, music teacher and inventor of musical instruments. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, he performed with various orchestras, most notably for 38 years with the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1959 to 1997.

In addition to his musical career, Abel is also since 1972 a teacher of music at Temple University. Abel is also credited with inventing the "Alan Abel Triangle" and the "suspended" bass drum stand, a drum stand that allows the bass drum to be suspended and swiveled, both of which have since been in use by many professional classical musicians and most American symphonic orchestras.

Abel was born in Hobart, Indiana, in 1928. At the age of seven, he started percussion lessons. He studied with Clarence Carlson at the Roy Knapp School and then with Haskell Harr and William Street at the Eastman School of Music from 1947 to 1951, where he earned a performance degree and played part-time with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

After enlisting and playing in the United States Air Force Band from 1951 to 1953, he performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic from 1953 to 1959. In 1959 he became a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra with which he performed until the end of his career in 1997. He was named Associate Principal Percussionist of that orchestra in 1972.

In 1998 he was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the New England Conservatory of Music.